Q0509
“There is no justification for present existence other than its expansion into…” — Simone de Beauvoir (The Ethics of Ambiguity (1947))
Verified English quotation. Primary source: The Ethics of Ambiguity (1947). Theme: freedom.
English
There is no justification for present existence other than its expansion into an indefinitely open future.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to The Ethics of Ambiguity (1947) and files it under Existentialism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Simone de Beauvoir
Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986) was a French existentialist philosopher and novelist whose The Second Sex (1949) transformed feminist theory. A Normalienne, she partnered intellectually with Sartre while building an independent oeuvre on ethics, aging, and politics.
How to read this passage
Philosophers distinguish several ideas under the single word freedom. Negative freedom emphasizes non-interference; positive freedom emphasizes the capacity to act according to reasons, virtue, or authentic desire. This passage enters that discussion through freedom, time, responsibility.
Concepts in this quote
- Freedom
- Freedom is among the most searched and most contested themes in philosophy: what it is to choose, to be responsible, and to live without illegitimate constraint.
- Time
- Philosophy of time asks what tense and duration are—and how memory, death, and history shape a human life.
- Responsibility
- Responsibility asks what we answer for—our choices, omissions, institutions, and the futures we help create.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Simone de Beauvoir. (n.d.). There is no justification for present existence other than its expansion into an indefinitely open future. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0509
MLA: Simone de Beauvoir. “There is no justification for present existence other….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0509.
Chicago: Simone de Beauvoir. “There is no justification for present existence other….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0509.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “There is no justification for present existence other…”?
The passage is attributed to Simone de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity (1947). The archive attributes this English wording to The Ethics of Ambiguity (1947) and files it under Existentialism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Simone de Beauvoir mean by freedom?
Philosophers distinguish several ideas under the single word freedom. Negative freedom emphasizes non-interference; positive freedom emphasizes the capacity to act according to reasons, virtue, or authentic desire. This passage enters that discussion through freedom, time, responsibility.